Republic of Ireland Under-17 striker Ademipo Odubeko has completed a move to West Ham United after rejecting the chance to make the breakthrough at Manchester United.
The former Crumlin United and St Joseph's Boys attacker moved across the water to Manchester City before switching to the red half of the city, where he made an excellent impression.
Odubeko, who turned 17 on Monday, scored 35 goals for United's academy sides, stepping up to the under-18s last season. He was highly thought of at the Red Devils, but turned down a new contract in the summer with several clubs interested in his services.
New chapter begins! ⚽️💫
— Mipo Odubeko (@mipoodubeko) October 25, 2019
Delighted to announce that I'm officially a @WestHam player!
Now it's time to get down to business! 👁 pic.twitter.com/JKltKIeR8A
Feyenoord, Bayern Munich, Genoa, Newcastle and Burnley were all linked with the teenager, but it's the Hammers who have won the race. Odubeko will go straight into their under-18 squad.
"It’s a really exciting day," Odubeko told the club website.
"I’ve been waiting for this move for a while, so I’m looking forward to getting started.
"West Ham is a club with a lot of history behind it. It promotes its young players, so it’s a great opportunity for me to develop my game and help the team.
"I’m looking forward to moving to London – it’ll be a little different to Manchester, so it’s an exciting challenge.
"I'm a goalscorer, I’m quick, and I work hard for my team. I always set high expectations for myself, so I’m looking to score a lot of goals for West Ham this season.
"I’ve been out for a while now, so now I’m just excited to get going - and get scoring."
